When it comes to deciding between hiking boots vs hiking shoes vs trail runners, there’s really only one thing to know. Buy the shoe that fits!
PSA I’m not a doctor, so if you have medical issues, always check with your care providers for advice on footwear.
This advice is only meant to guide if you want to know the finer differences between these pieces of footwear.
If you’re JUST getting into hiking, then the best place you can spend your money is on your feet. Bad footwear = a bad time.
Choose what fits you best given the conditions you’re primarily hiking in. So if you live near mountains but winter doesn’t interest you, a hiking shoe will serve you best. But if you live in the SouthWest, start with a trail runner or breathable hiking shoe (likely not waterproof).
But I’ll level with you. If you REALLY get into this hobby, you’ll eventually end up with all 3 types of shoes. I’ve got it all over the years from hard-shank mountaineering boots to uber-lightweight trail runners.
Again, it all comes back into investing in your feet. But it takes TIME to build up everything you need and your needs WILL change when it comes to what hiking footwear to use.
My last big piece of advice – RUN FAST from ANY influencer or content creator convincing you to buy a specific shoe or boot.
Frankly, your feet are as unique as your fingerprints. Someone else’s sales pitch on specific footwear is absolutely trash and they are trying to make a sale from you, not recommend a product you’ll actually like.
Red flags all around.
Same goes for big-name publications, media outlets, and blogs reviewing footwear. 95% of these reviews are totally worthless. The only thing you should consider when reading these reviews are the aspects of durability or features such as breathability and waterproofing. The rest is garbage with a capital G.
FOOTWEAR IS PERSONAL!
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✨Time stamps:
00:00 – intro
00:10 – when to use each shoe
00:30 – Choosing a shoe based on where you hike
00:54 – What activities do you enjoy the most?
01:35 – What to consider medically
02:16 – pros and cons of hiking boots
02:40 – pros and cons of hiking shoes
03:23 – pros and cons of trail runners
04:17 – improving the lifespan of your trail runners
04:24 – The biggest thing to consider when choosing hiking footwear
In case you’re curious – here’s what I rock on the trails.
Full disclosure, I actually don’t encourage you to buy what I’m wearing UNLESS it fits you. This requires you to go to an actual store and talk to a human (scary I know). So no – I didn’t even get greedy and include affiliate links.
Boots: Lowa Light GTX. I recommend ANY Lowa boot. These have been my go-to for over 15 years. They are quality, durable, and fit well if you have a wider toe box.
Hiking Shoes: Sawtooth II waterproof. Admittedly (and unfortunately) these don’t fit me all that well anymore. Pregnancy changed my feet and these didn’t make the cut. But they are reliable and durable. Oboz has a great shoe finder tool that helps you narrow a few things down from an overwhelming selection.
Trail Runners: New Balance. I honestly don’t remember what specific shoe they are annnnd they’ve re-designed everything. I have loved this pair (almost) to death. I would just AVOID HOKAs. They are HORRIBLE with their durability – I had a pair of SpeedGoats that didn’t even last a season. And by season I mean I was running 2 miles a week post-partum on a very mellow gravel trail. They were toast after 4 months (gross). I’m still on the hunt for a great trail runner that works for my current output.
I dont hike very usually and generally like to cover many places at once. Most have different terrains. It can get gravelly to slippery to wet all unexpected. Difficult to carry to many options. I stick to one good hiking boots. Yet they may be a little heavy but my soles thank me. Just get one good pair of boots if you are not a very frequent hiker and you are good to go
A video that finally answered my question! Thanks!
thanks a lot this was by far the best video i’ve seen over different types of hiking footwear!
These shoes have seen more than I have😢